Two Luzerne men charged with theft

Thursday, October 6, 2011

Two Luzerne County men are facing more theft charges.

State police at Frackville said Craig D. Sims, 40, of Hazle Township, and John K. Davidovich, 36, of Hazleton, were charged with felony theft by unlawful taking and receiving stolen property charges. The charges were filed against Davidovich on Sept. 27 and Sims on Oct. 5.

Troopers related that on June 25 about 10:30 a.m. a Reading Anthracite Company employee witnessed Sims and Davidovich driving on private property and in possession of stolen scrap metal from the company's property at the Saint Clair North bank, located off the Burma Road, in New Castle Township.

The stolen metal was in the bed of Sims' pickup truck. The two were interviewed at the barracks and admitted to the theft. They also admitted to taking scrap metal from a location behind the Home Depot in East Norwegian Township, just outside Saint Clair, the previous day. The two were charged with theft and trespassing on private property.

An investigation into the above incident led to the new charges being filed, troopers said. That investigation revealed that the two used torches to cut a conveyor belt behind the Home Depot and they took the metal to a scrap yard.

The two were arraigned on the new charges before District Judge David Plachko, of Port Carbon, and released on $25,000 unsecured bail.